Lexus wins JD Power award (again)

The Lexus RX and Toyota's hybrid car, the Prius, are the highest-ranking models in the J.D. Power and Associates/What Car? 2009 UK Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study (VOSS)SM released today.

The Lexus RX earns a score of 853 on a 1000-point scale, with owners reporting particularly high satisfaction with the model's quality/reliability and appeal as well as servicing at the dealership. Second-highest-ranked model, the Toyota Prius, performs well on running costs and vehicle quality/reliability.

Satisfaction in hybrid cars'Sales of SUVs may be on the slide, but it's clear that owners of the Lexus RX 4x4 would gladly recommend their car to others,' said Steve Fowler, editor of What Car?

'Many of the RXs in the survey were hybrid models, and with the hybrid Toyota Prius in second place, it’s clear that environmentally friendly cars are hugely satisfying to own.'

In the manufacturer rankings, Lexus ranks highest for a ninth consecutive year, receiving a customer satisfaction score of 833. Lexus performs particularly well in two of four key measures: service satisfaction and vehicle appeal. Rounding out the top five nameplates are Honda (817), Mercedes-Benz (808), Škoda and Toyota (805 each).

At model level, Toyota captures two awards—more than any other manufacturer included in the 2009 study.

'Lexus consistently delivers an exceptional ownership experience for customers in the UK,' said Susan Barnes, European automotive director at J.D. Power and Associates.

About the surveyThe redesigned 2009 UK Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study (VOSS) is the successor study to the UK Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) and is based on the evaluations of more than 15,700 online interviews from UK car owners after an average of two years of ownership. The study includes 29 brands and 101 models.

Owners provide detailed evaluations of their vehicles and dealers, which cover 67 attributes grouped in four measurements of satisfaction.

In order of importance, they are:

Vehicle appeal (37%), which includes performance, design, comfort and features

Vehicle quality and reliability (24%)

Ownership costs (22%), which includes fuel consumption, insurance and costs of service/repair